Course in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility
Online 300-hour course in ethics in defence social responsibility. 6 modules covering the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011), Directive (EU) 2022/2464 (CSRD, corporate sustainability reporting) and advanced Microsoft Excel. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility — studying from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom maintains a substantial defence industry, with prime contractors such as BAE Systems and Babcock, and a wide supply chain across the Midlands, the North West, Bristol and Scotland. Land systems, armoured vehicles, munitions and military engineering programmes provide long-term employment for engineers in design, integration, test and sustainment. The Ministry of Defence, Defence Equipment and Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory oversee procurement and research. Security clearance requirements shape recruitment, and professional standards are maintained through UK defence engineering frameworks.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £537 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK bodies and regulators are relevant to defence and military land systems engineering?
In the UK, the Ministry of Defence sets its own engineering standards and the Engineering Council regulates professional registration. Professional bodies such as the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and the Royal Engineers' professional structures are relevant. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by these bodies, so recognition for security-cleared or MOD roles is decided by the employer and the relevant authority.
Will a private qualification help with UK defence industry careers?
UK defence employers, including primes and suppliers, often prioritise security clearance eligibility, relevant experience and formal qualifications recognised by the MOD or industry bodies. A private qualification may support your profile but is unlikely to replace these requirements. Ask prospective employers how they would assess it before enrolling.
Is it practical to study this online while working in the UK, and what about language and funding?
Online study means you can continue working in the UK, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Teaching is in English, so good technical English is essential. Fees can be paid in instalments, and some employers offer training sponsorship, though policies vary. Each programme has a fixed number of hours and an assigned technical tutor. Confirm the workload and costs before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the scope of social responsibility in defence sector companies.
Apply the UN Guiding Principles to the value chain of a defence manufacturer.
Design a risk-proportionate human rights due diligence process.
Develop sustainability indicators in line with the GRI Standards and the CSRD.
Assess risks to people, workers and the environment associated with defence industrial activity.
Analyse governance dilemmas between confidentiality, national security and transparency.
Draft a comprehensive social responsibility plan for a defence organisation.
Who it's for
- Corporate social responsibility manager in defence who wants to specialise in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility.
- Sustainability and ESG reporting analyst who wants to specialise in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility.
- Human rights due diligence technician who wants to specialise in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility.
- Compliance officer at a defence company who wants to specialise in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility.
- Corporate governance consultant who wants to specialise in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility.
- Non-financial information auditor who wants to specialise in Ethics in Defence Social Responsibility.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the defence industry.
What you'll work with
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011)
- Directive (EU) 2022/2464 (CSRD, corporate sustainability reporting)
- Directive (EU) 2024/1760 (corporate sustainability due diligence)
- ISO 26000 (social responsibility)
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- GRI Standards
- Arms Trade Treaty (2013)
- Law 11/2018 (non-financial information and diversity)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1What social responsibility means in this sector1.2Difference between compliance, reputation and responsibility1.3Stakeholders: State, employees, community and investors1.4Debate on the legitimacy of the business1.5Sustainable investment criteria and exclusions1.6Position of funds and banks1.7International reference frameworks1.8Corporate sustainability vocabulary1.9Information sources and their reliability1.10Exercise: stakeholder map of a company
2.1Guiding principles on business and human rights2.2Human rights due diligence2.3Identification of actual and potential impacts2.4Customer and end-use assessment2.5Supply chain and conflict minerals2.6Grievance and remedy mechanisms2.7European due diligence regulation2.8Liability for complicity2.9Relevant legal cases2.10Practice: due diligence assessment of an operation
3.1Health and safety at high-risk facilities3.2Handling hazardous materials3.3Working conditions and social dialogue3.4Diversity and talent management3.5Environmental impact of production3.6Waste and emissions management3.7Carbon footprint and decarbonisation3.8Circular economy in the sector3.9Relationship with the local community3.10Practice: social and environmental impact plan for a plant
4.1Sustainability report and its content4.2European sustainability reporting standards4.3Double materiality analysis4.4Indicators applicable to the sector4.5Taxonomy of sustainable investments and defence4.6External verification of information4.7Risk of image laundering4.8Honest and comparable communication4.9Dialogue with investors and analysts4.10Practice: defining the indicators of a report
5.1Board and risk oversight body5.2Ethics and sustainability committee5.3Customer and excluded countries policy5.4Remuneration linked to non-financial criteria5.5Responsible lobbying and transparency5.6Conflict between a public contract and personal criteria5.7Internal objection by employees5.8Communication during a reputational crisis5.9Periodic policy evaluation5.10Debate: rejecting a legal but controversial contract
6.1Choice of company and its activity6.2Map of stakeholders and impacts6.3Double materiality analysis6.4Human rights due diligence procedure6.5Social and environmental impact plan6.6Customer and governance policy6.7Indicators and report structure6.8Communication and dialogue plan6.9Proposal report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine the programme with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is advanced Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, NVivo, Miro, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Assessments are studied using real procedures for preparing sustainability reports, human rights impact assessments and materiality analyses with stakeholders. Assessment is continuous by module plus the final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Understand the scope of social responsibility in defence sector companies.
Apply the UN Guiding Principles to the value chain of a defence manufacturer.
Design a risk-proportionate human rights due diligence process.
Develop sustainability indicators in line with the GRI Standards and the CSRD.
Assess risks to people, workers and the environment associated with defence industrial activity.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme comprises 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of between 10 and 15 hours per week, compatible with a full-time job.
The course works with advanced Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Power BI, NVivo and Miro. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. This is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or Postgraduate Diploma in the same area are credited towards the higher-level programme. Please consult the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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